Stacking sheet



March 5, 1957 H. FLETCHER. JR 2,784,131

STACKING SHEET Filed June 25, 1951 ERM A INVENTOR.

firac'ez%fc%erdr ATTORNEY STACKING SHEET Horace Fletcher, Jr., Montville, N. J.

Application June 25, 1951, Serial No. 233,437

Claims. (Cl. 15453.5)

My invention relates generally to a stacking sheet and specifically to a sheet having a tacky coating on its outer surface and an inner layer serving as a cleavage plane by which the sheet may be separated into two sheets.

it is among the objects of my invention to provide a stacking sheet which, when disposed between objects of fixed or variable forms, will tend to maintain them in a stacked position.

Another object of my invention is to maintain stacked objects against lateral displacement.

A further object of my invention is to cause objects of fixed or variable form to remain in a stacked position and yet to permit them to be readily unstacked.

These objects and advantages, as well as other objects and advantages, may be achieved by the device illustrated in the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a stack of bags showing my stacking sheet in use;

Figure 2 is a side view of my stacking sheet;

Figure 3 is a side view showing my stacking sheet in use; and

Figure 4 is a view in stacking paper.

When objects, such as paper bags, which have a variable contour, or cartons and the like, are stacked, any motion of the platform, pallet, car or truck on which they are stacked may cause them to be tumbled about, damaged, or torn, and their contents may be destroyed, discharged, or damaged. The problem appears to be to provide a means for causing stacks of objects, such as paper bags, or objects of fixed form, such as cartons, to remain in stacked position. This could be achieved by cementing these objects together. However, upon separation, the paper bags would be torn or the cartons ripped open. The present invention solves this problem by providing a sheet having top and bottom tacky surfaces disposed on the outer faces of the sheet, which faces are relatively resistant to tearing. Between the faces of the sheet is a central area or cleavage plane consisting of loose, fibrous material, relatively unresistant to tearing. Thus when the top face of the sheet is pulled away from the bottom face of the sheet, the sheet will separate into two parts along the cleavage plane defined by the loose, fibrous central layer whose fibers easily separate from each other.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, my invention provides a sheet 11 (11 is used to refer to the sheet as a whole including all its components), having several areas in cross-section. The top face 12 is formed of material which is relatively resistant to tearing. This area may be a hard, dense paper. The top face merges with a central layer 13 which defines a cleavage plane. The central layer 13 is made of a loose material, such as a fibrous substance loosely compacted, e. g., blotting paper. This material is relatively unresistant to separation, shearing, tearing or being pulled apart. It may be thought of as having the consistency of blotting paper,

perspective of a sheet of my nitEd States Patent O Patented Mar. 5, 19 57 cotton, or asbestos. And finally the central layer 13 merges with a lower face 14 or bottom portion which is identical with the top face 12. This lower face 14 also consists of material which is relatively resistant to tearing. The outer surfaces of the top and bottom areas are provided with a tacky coating 15.

If a paper bag 16 or carton is placed in position and a stacking sheet 11 is put on top of it, its lower tacky surface will adhere. When another bag 16 or carton is placed upon the first carton, that bag 16 will also adhere to the tacky upper surface 15 of the sheet. By reason of the pressure of the upper bag 16 or carton, the ability of the relatively tear-proof top and bottom faces, 12, 14 of the sheet 11 to separate from each other along the cleavage line will not be realized when a force is exerted in the same plane as that in which the loose or fibrous central layer 13 extends, However, when the top bag 16 or carton is raised in an upward direction or slightly at an angle to the plane in which the sheet 11 extends, the top 12 and bottom 14 faces of the sheet will separate from each other along the loose central fibrous layer 13 permitting the unstacking of the bags or cartons without damage, the only destruction being to the separable sheet 11 itself, the top area 12 of which adheres to the top bag 16 or carton and the bottom area 14 of which adheres to the bottom bag 16 or carton by reason of the coatings 15. Thus in transit large quantities of bags or cartons or similar items may be stacked on a truck, pallet or in a freight car, and in spite of the erratic movement of the transportation medium, the articles so stacked will tend to resist sliding horizontally but will remain in stacked position until they are raised from one another.

Inasmuch as the coating 15 would adhere to anything it 'came in contact with, the sheet 11 is supplied with protective sheets 17 on both sides. The sheets 17 are stripped away when the sheet 11 is to be used. These sheets should have a rather slick surface so that they will only adhere lightly to the coating 15 and may be easily stripped away.

My stacking sheet may be formed in many manners. For example, in a paper mill, when a dense, relatively tear-proof paper, is formed, a layer of loose fibrous paper may be added to it and in turn another layer of dense, relatively tear-proof paper may be added to the original sheet on top of the loose fibrous layer. Upon application of heat, pressure, or both, these three layers will become intimately united or bonded to each other and will appear substantially as an entity. A suitable tacky coating may then be applied to the top and bottom of the sheet. This stacking paper may be rolled to prepare it for easy use, or it may be formed into sheets-with an easily removable protective sheet on both of the tacky surfaces to prevent it from adhering when that is not desired.

Another method of preparing a stacking sheet would be simply to take two sheets ofrelatively tear-proof paper and cementitiously join them with a central sheet of loose fibrous character as has heretofore been referred to, such as blotting paper.

Such procedures are well known and are referred to as lining, combining-or laminating. When such bonding has been completed thena tacky coatingvmay be applied to the outer surfaces of each of the 'relativelytearless sheets. The stacking sheet may be formed in many other ways, and the foregoing methods are merely included by way of illustration.

I have referred to the sheet 11 in terms of paper, fibre and the like. I wish it understood that I do so merely for illustration. Other materials may be used, as for example thin sheets of wood, plastics, with fibre glass, asbestos, fabric, flock, etc. Regardless of the material used, the important thing is its essential characteristics. The stacking paper may be produced in sheets, or in rolls, with suitable scoring in either form to permit detachment of sheets suitable in size to the objects and uses to which they are to be applied.

The nature of the tacky coating is not detailed as there are numerous types of coatings, and they are matter of common knowledge to those skilled in the art.

The sheet 11 is contemplated as unitary. But it would be an equivalent to prepare separate, distinct sheets or layers and join them by pressure, cement, or any other manner. Y

The foregoing description is merely intended to illustrate an embodiment of the invention. The component parts have been shown and described. They each may have substitutes which may perform a substantially similar function; such substitutes may be known as proper substitutes for the said components and may have actually been known or invented before the present invention; these substitutes are contemplated as being within the scope of the appended claims, although they are not specifically catalogued herein.

1 claim:

1. A stacking sheet for horizontal interposition between the horizontal surfaces of pairs of stacked objects to maintain them against lateral displacement with respect to each other comprising a sheet having top and bottom faces relatively resistant to tearing and a center relatively unresistant to tearing or separation, a tacky coating on the top and bottom faces of the sheet, and removable protective sheets overlying the tacky coating.

2. A stacking sheet for horizontal interposition between the horizontal surfaces of pairs of stacked objects to maintain them against lateral displacement with respect to each other comprising a sheet having outer faces of material relatively resistant to tearing and a central layer of material relatively unresistant to tearing or separation joined with the outer faces, a tacky coating on the outer faces of both outer sheets, and removable protective sheets overlying the tacky coating.

3. A stacking sheet for horizontal interposition between the horizontal surfaces of pairs of stacked objects to maintain them against lateral displacement with respect to each other comprising a sheet having top and bottom faces relatively resistant to tearing; and a central layer relatively unresistant to tearing or separation by stress exerted perpendicular to the plane of the central layer and relatively resistant to tearing or separation by stress exerted along the plane of the layer; a tacky coating on the top and bottom faces; and removable protective sheets overlying the tacky coating.

4. A stacking sheet for horizontal interposition between the horizontal surfaces of pairs of stacked objects to maintain them against lateral displacement with respect to each other comprising a sheet having top and bottom faces relatively resistant to tearing; and a central layer latitudinally unresistant to tearing or separation and longitudinally relatively resistant to tearing or separation; a tacky coating on the top and bottom faces; and removable protective sheets overlying the tacky coating.

5. A stacking sheet for horizontal interposition between the horizontal surfaces of pairs of stacked objects to maintain them against lateral displacement with respect to each other comprising a sheet having plurality of laminae, with the outer laminae characterized by resistance to tearing, and an inner lamina relatively unresistant to tearing or separation; a tacky coating on the outer laminae; and removable protective sheets overlying the tacky coating.

6. A stacking sheet for horizontal interposition between the horizontal surfaces of pairs of stacked objects to maintain them against lateral displacement with respect to each other comprising a laminated paper sheet in which the outer laminae are paper characterized by resistance to tearing, and the inner lamina is paper relatively unresistant to tearing or separation, a tacky coating on the outer laminae, and removable protective sheets overlying the tacky coating.

7. A stacking sheet for horizontal interposition between the horizontal surfaces of pairs of stacked objects to maintain them against lateral displacement with respect to each other comprising a laminated paper sheet in which the outer laminae are paper characterized by resistance to tearing, and the inner lamina is paper relatively unresistant to tearing or separation, and a tacky coating on the outer laminae.

8. A stacking sheet for horizontal interposition between the horizontal surfaces of pairs of stacked objects to maintain them against lateral displacement with respect to each other comprising a sheet, a central layer of loose, pulpy paper relatively unresistant to tearing or separation by stress exerted perpendicular to the central layer and relatively resistant to tearing or separation by stress exerted along the plane of the central layer, outer layers of tough paper relatively resistant to tearing or separation on both sides of the central layer, a tacky coating on the outer face of both outer layers.

9. A stacking sheet for horizontal interposition be tween the horizontal surfaces of pairs of stacked objects to maintain them against lateral displacement with respect to each other comprising a sheet, a central layer of loose, pulpy paper relatively unresistant to tearing or separation by stress exerted perpendicular to the central layer and relatively resistant to tearing or separation by stress exerted along the plane of the central layer,

1 outer layers of tough paper relatively resistant to tearing or separation on both sides of the central layer, a tacky coating on the outer face of both outer layers and said sheet being adapted-to adhere to a pair of objects be tween the horizontal surfaces of which it is interposed, to maintain them against lateral displacement and to separate along its central layer when the top object is raised.

10. A stacking sheet for horizontal interposition between the horizontal surfaces of pairs of stacked objects to maintain them against lateral displacement with respect to each other comprising a sheet relatively resistant to tearing or separation, a tacky coating on both sides of the sheet, and a central layer of loose, pulpy material relatively unresistant to tearing or separation by stress exerted perpendicular to the central layer and relatively resistant to tearing or separation by stress exerted along the plane of the central layer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 98,375 Hedden Dec. 28, 1869 1,323,022 Crowell et al. Nov. 25, 1919 2,205,956 Humphner June 25, 1940 2,256,024 Hill Sept. 16, 1941 2,395,668 Kellgren et al. Feb. 26, 1946 2,485,295 Larson Oct. 18, 1949 2,587,171 Knewstubb et al. Feb. 26, 1952 

1. A STACKING SHEET FOR HORIZONTAL INTERPOSITION BETWEEN THE HORIZONTAL SURFACES OF PAIRS OF STACKED OBJECTS TO MAINTAIN THEM AGAINST LATERAL DISPLACEMENT WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER COMPRISING A SHEET HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM FACES RELATIVELY RESISTANT TO TEARING AND A CENTER RELATIVELY UNRESISTANT TO TEARING OR SEPARATON, A TACKY COATING ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM FACES OF THE SHEET, AND REMOVABLE PROTECTIVE SHEETS OVERLYING THE TACKY COATING. 